Suquamish News, July 2014

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Suquamish News

Inside...

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A monthly publication of the Suquamish Tribe

Volume 14

...Spirit Hawk Canoes pg. 8

July 2014

N o. 7

Bound For Bella Bella

Suquamish Canoe Family begins the more than 550-mile journey to the Heiltsuk Nation

Suquamish canoes participating in Tribal Journeys left the shores of the Port Madison Indian Reservation at 10 a.m. on June 18, 2014. The two Suquamish Tribe sister canoes, Qal-qal-haitch and Siahm-ah-Oatks are making the more than 550-mile trip to Bella Bella, B.C. along with Suquamish Tribal Elder Ed Carrier’s family canoe. Members of the Nisqually Canoe Family also left the shores alongside Suquamish vessels. The trip, which will take more than three weeks to complete, is well underway. Canoes from throughout the Salish Sea are expected to land in Bella Bella, B.C on July 13, where the Heiltsuk Nation will greet them and begin a week of cultural exchanges between Tribes and First Nations. The trip holds special significance for Suquamish Tribal Members Nigel Lawrence, Ian Lawrence, Peg Deam, Kate Ahvakana and others who made the same trek 21 years ago. At the time, Tribal Journeys was just beginning to take shape as a vehicle for cultural resurgence within Coast-Salish tribal communities. “A trip like this, it changes you,” said Suquamish Tribal Elder Peg Deam. Suquamish Tribal Members kicked off Tribal Journeys the evening before leaving with a special ceremony honoring the Killer Whale followed by Tribal Journeys protocol festivities at the House of Awakened Culture. The honoring, conducted in the traditional way of the Suquamish People, was held to recognize the presence of Orca pods on the waters during the return of the Old Man House artifacts collection and on Suquamish’s journey

Suquamish Song & Dance perform Spinning Water during host protocol the evening before leaving for Bella Bella.

back from Salmon Homecoming in Seattle last year.

the Suquamish Tribe last year were also on display during the honoring.

“When the whales come and show themselves like that, it makes us feel like their telling us we’re doing the right thing,” said Suquamish Cultural Coordinator Tina Jackson.

“Tonight we honor the Killer Whales of the Salish Sea, especially those of the Southern Resident Community, that made history by escorting the spirits of our Old Man House ancestors back home to our museum,” said Suquamish Tribe Deputy Director Morrie BlackEagle during the honoring.

Witnesses were called for the ceremony, which included speakers and a presentation by the Suquamish Song and Dance Group. Pieces of the artifacts returned to

A video explaining the importance of the

Chico Creek Culvert Removal Gets Underway

Tribe breaks ground on multi-jurisdictional project to revitalize Kitsap’s largest salmon run

Kitty Hawk Drive, just off Chico Way between Silverdale and Bremerton, WA will soon be filled with work trucks and men in hard hats. The relatively small, inconspicuous roadway is home to a stream culvert that will soon be removed, thanks to the Suquamish Tribe’s cooperative efforts with County, State and Federal officials. Members of the Suquamish Tribe along with representatives from State, County and Federal regulatory agencies broke ground on the project on June 17, 2014. Workers expect to finish replacing the culvert with a bridge by this fall, just in time for the early winter salmon runs in October and November. Culverts are large cement tunnels that carry streams under roadways. The structures, used throughout the northwest during the last half of the twentieth century, create significantly faster running waterways that impede fish passage and damage creek beds. Over the past several years the Suquamish Tribe has worked with government agencies and other organizations to remove the 40-foot culvert at Kitty Hawk Drive. The goal is to remove the even larger 400-foot culvert upstream under State Route 3 as well, resulting in a much Suquamish News

honoring can be found online at www. youtube.com/thesuquamishtribe. Additional photos of Suquamish Protocol and canoes leaving Suquamish for Bella Bella, B.C. can also be found online at www. flickr.com/suquamish. For more information about Tribal Journeys 2014 Paddle to Bella Bella, also called Qatuwas, visit www.tribaljourneys.ca or the Suquamish Tribe Facebook page at www.facebook. com/suquamishtribe.

Suquamish Honors Graduates Annual event celebrates educational milestones of tribal members

Tribal graduates of all ages were honored for their achievements during the 14th Annual Suquamish Graduation Ceremony at the House of Awakened Culture on June 12, 2014. The program, designed to celebrate the educational accomplishments of Tribal Members, recognizes graduates from High Schools, GED Programs, see “Graduates” page 3...

From left; Chris Walbillig (WDFW), Capt. Thomas Zwolfer (NBK), Joe Dacca (Rep. Kilmer’s Office), Kitsap Comm. Linda Streissguth, Leonard Forsman and James Woods (EPA).

The Chico estuary is a diverse mix of habitats including stream and nearshore riparian, salt marsh, tidal distributary channels, and inter-tidal gravel beach. The Suquamish Tribe has documented juveniles of 5 species of Pacific salmon (including listed Chinook salmon and steelhead) rearing within the Chico estuary. In the early 1960s, the State Highway Department built State Route 3 and Kitty Hawk Drive on fill as deep as 50 feet, resulting in the loss of approximately 5 acres of channel, floodplain, and saltmarsh in the Chico Estuary.

healthier estuary at the mouth of Chico Creek.Tom Ostrom, Salmon Recovery Coordinator in the Fisheries Department at the Suquamish Tribe, has been the lead on the project. “The Washington State Department of Transportation has ranked the State Route 3 culvert as the second highest priority for replacement in the entire Olympia Region. Removing Kitty Hawk Drive from the historic Chico estuary is a necessary first step allowing for the future replacement of the State Route 3 culvert,” said Ostrom. 1

In This Issue News ................... 1 Community Calendar

................... 2

News & Events

................... 3

Education

................... 4

Museum ................... 5 Sports & Recreation

................... 8

Elders ................. 10 Health & Wellness

..................11

Business ..................12 Community & Notices

................. 14

Birthdays ..................15 Vol. 14, No. 7


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Suquamish News, July 2014 by Suquamish Tribe - Issuu